§ MR. STEADMANI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he is aware that the new arrangement for the disposal of the fines inflicted on Liverpool postmen for late attendances, whereby the staff have no longer a voice in the decision as to how the money shall be appropriated, has resulted in breaking up the men's organised effort to help the local Saturday Hospital Fund; and if so, will he consider the advisability of repealing the new regulation.
§ MR. ANSTRUTHER (for Mr. HANBURY)The Tweedmouth Committee stated in their Report—
We are informed that it is the custom to distribute the fines among the employees, and it often happens that they are returned to the very men from whom they have been exacted. For the future it is recommended that fines levied by way of punishment be applied to some purpose for the general benefit of post office servants or of their families, to be approved by the Postmaster General.In carrying out this recommendation the Postmaster General issued instructions that the money was to be administered by the local postmasters and to be devoted, subject to his approval, to (1) some charitable or benevolent institution for the general benefit of Post Office servants; (2) to local institutions of benefit to the staff; (3) to the relief of members of the staff—whether on the establishment or not—who through no fault of their own are in necessitous circumstances, or to afford temporary relief in cases of distress among widows and orphans of deceased members of the staff. At Liverpool the postmen have not recommended to the postmaster that any of the money should be devoted to the Hospital Saturday Fund, and it is not quite clear whether such a method of disposing of it would be altogether consistent with the directions above laid down. But the postmaster would no doubt give due weight to any representation from the staff on the subject.